The present invention relates to implants, more particularly to intracavitary implants. Most particularly, the present invention relates to intracavitary implants for moving critical structures.
Intracavitary apparatuses for use in radiation procedures are known. See for example U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,653,683 to D's Andrea and 3,872,856 to Clayton.
According to the present invention a dose optimization apparatus is provided. The apparatus comprises a colpostat intracavitary implant that includes a housing portion adapted to receive a radiation source therein and a jacket defining a cavity that is sized to receive the housing. The jacket is configured to selectively expand in volumetric size.
According to another embodiment of the present invention a dose optimization apparatus suitable for use with a colpostat intracavitary implant is provided. The apparatus includes a jacket adapted to surround the housing. In addition, the jacket is configured to selectively expand in volumetric size.
In yet another embodiment of the present invention a method is provided for optimizing radiation dose distributions to a rectum and a bladder of a patient in the treatment of malignancies of female genitalia. The method comprises the steps of providing a tandem, a colpostat, radiation sources, and a jacket, the jacket defining a cavity and being configured to selectively expand in volumetric size, inserting the colpostat into the cavity to form a colpostat/jacket subassembly, inserting the tandem into a vagina of a patient until the tandem passes into a uterus, inserting the colpostat/jacket subassembly into the vagina adjacent to the tandem, inserting at least one radiation source into the tandem and into the colpostat, and inflating the jacket to press the wall of the vagina away from the colpostat and therefore moving the rectum and the bladder away from the radiation sources.
Additional features and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the invention.